21.2.2007: Dutch heavyweight Richel Hersisia, 28-1 (22 KO’s), last weekend moved his training headquarters from Berlin to Rottweil in south Germany, accompanying his trainer Torsten Schmitz, who also has to prepare former European champion and WBO heavyweight title challenger Luan Krasniqi. Fittingly, promoter Universum Box-Promotion has added the hard-punching Dutch and Benelux champion from Den Haag to their ‘Champions Night’ on March 17 at the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle in Stuttgart, Germany, which is headlined by the clash between Krasniqi and Axel-Schulz-conqueror Brian Minto.

Manager Olaf Schroeder, whose company Fight Production has handled Hersisia from the start of his career in 2001, confirmed the appearance of the ‘Dutch Sonny Liston’ in a scheduled 8-rounder:

“We are looking to fight someone who can give Richel much more of a test than his last opponent (Adenilson Rodrigues, W KO 2). This is not about boxing someone who has a hot name and produces storylines, like with the Krasniqi v Minto fight, but rather about a solid sporting contest.”

Photo: Hersisia and trainer Schmitz: Gloving up for March 17.

Apparantly, despite sharing a trainer, Hersisia and Krasniqi will not train or spar together in Rottweil. This is emphazised by the fact that the 32-year-old Curacao-born Hersisia has been given his own sparringpartners by Universum Box-Promotion. He again works with current WBF ‘world’ champion Albert Sosnowski, 39-1 (23 KO’s), from Poland. The pair knows each other since long, due to the close relationship of Schroeder with Sosnowski’s manager/promoter Krzysztof Zbarski and the German said:

“Albert is really a great guy, he didn’t hesitate for one minute when Richel asked him to come over. We definitely appreciate his help, which is not to be taken for granted, because Albert, whose corner I worked many times at the beginning of his career, is a very serious fighter himself.”

An announcement about Hersisia’s opponent is expected shortly, but trainer Torsten Schmitz was non-chalant about that issue: “We don’t really care. Richel has big hopes, works hard and wants to win, so it doesn’t matter who will be put in front of him.”